Going big is a frame of mind.
A word about the name "Wray". It's a family name and one of my nick names.

Sunday, April 29, 2007

Gear Review: lululemon's silverescent

Elaine Waterman, former New York City fashion designer….now Community Relations manager for lululemon athletica- Boulder, asked me to test lululemon’s new silverescent shirt. The garment's fabric includes silver fibers, which apparently inhibit bacteria growth and hence…..odor.

Should I have been concerned that I was asked to odor test something? Here’s what I came up with.

To be honest, I was skeptical that “silverescent” or any other odor-free fabric would live up to its reputation. Afterall for more than 20 years, I’ve worn all types of dance, yoga, and athletic clothing. Fact: when it gets sweaty….it holds body odor.

For this smell-o-rama test, I wore the lululemon silverescent shirt and a pair of my regular lycra biking shorts during a 90-minute bike ride. My thinking was:

1. that after my workout, I’d seal each item separately in a zip lock plastic baggie2. let it ferment for a good 24 hours3. then do a whiff test

After a 90-minute enduro bike ride, my clothes were soaking wet with perspiration. I sealed each item in it’s own zip lock baggie for 24 hours.

When the time to whiff-test rolled around….well, I thought it was going to be gross. The lululemon shirt had NO ODOR…unbelievable…and wonderful! The lycra bike shorts were smelly, ick. I know many MOUNTAINEERS (and regular people) who could benefit from silver fibered clothing.

To see what lululemon athletica has to offer, visit them at http://www.lululemon.com

Please feel free to contact me about testing your athletic products. You can email me through my profile on this page.